The Sprout

Rockin’ around the Covid Christmas Tree

The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley

Issue 153 Winter 2020

The Sprout

The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley

Dir e c t o r s: J a n e t Bart l a m , Judi B o l d er, J o h n Cle m e n t s ,

Mich a e l Coc k m a n , Ag M a c K e i th, R o b i n Palme r

Editor

Ag MacKeith

South View House, Old Botley, OX2 0JR Tel: 724452 Editor@TheSprout.org.uk

Advertising Manager

Michael Cockman

50, St Paul's Crescent OX2 9AG Tel: 07766 317691 Adverts@TheSprout.org.uk

Del i v e r i es

Bhee Bellew and Robin Cox

15 Seacourt Road, OX2 9LD Tel: 790648 Deliveries@TheSprout.org.uk

Copy Date: Copy by 15th of month preceding publication. Earlier submission is

welcome. Later contributions may have to be held over to the next issue.

Advertisements: If you have print-ready advertisements in the correct format the

last day for booking advertising is the 10th of the month preceding publication; in all

other circumstances more advance notice will be needed. For details about exact

sizes, quality requirements, advice on text and help with production, please contact

the Advertising Manager.

Advertising rates:

½ page: 1 issue £56; 3 issues £135; 5 issues £182; 10 issues; £308

¼ page: 1 issue £28; 3 issues £67.50; 5 issues £91; 10 issues; £154

1/8 page: 1 issue £14; 3 issues £33.75; 5 issues £45.50; 10 issues; £77

Subscriptions: If you live outside North Hinksey Parish you can still receive The

Sprout on a regular basis. Just take out a postal subscription – only £12 per annum,

delivered to your door. Contact: Carol Kramer 01865 243002.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information printed in this

newsletter, mistakes may happen. The Editor and Team apologize unreservedly for

any errors that may occur and will do their best to correct them. This publication is not

a vehicle of the parish council, and parish councillors working with the Sprout do so in

a personal capacity. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the individual

contributors.

All concerned in the production and delivery of The Sprout are unpaid volunteers.

The S p r out i s p r inted b y Dat a p r i nt Lt d , a nd pu b l i s hed b y N o rth

Hin k s e y Paris h P u blica t i o n s L t d , (a c o m p a n y li m i t e d by

gua r a n t e e) R e g i strat i o n No. 0 5 6 0 9 5 35 .

It c a n a lso b e foun d o n line a t B otley H i n k sey.org.uk

The Sprout

Issue 153, Winter 2020

Contents

3 Letters to the Editor

7 Football in the Year of Covid

13 Farmers Market

15 Kennington Memory Club

17 Taking Winter Pictures

21 Oxford XVth Scouts

22 Pull-out Covid help poster

24 Christmas Hamper

25 Hamper Request Form

27 CoE Christmas Services

29 Covid Quiz

33 End of Term Report

35 Oxford Foodbank

36 Planning Applications

37 Carp for Christmas

39 Manna from Anna

41 Staying Well in Winter

42 Randoms

43 Local organizations

From the Editor

We hardly dared hope that Lockdown2 would be lifted in time for the

Sprout to go to print, but so it is. Perhaps Christmas will be

happening too, after all! Certainly, the Church of England has plans in

place for Christmas services (p27), and the XVth Scouts managed to

write a report, despite having their fingers firmly crossed (p21).

Kennington Memory Club is back in action (p15), though not sure who

will dare to come, and the Oxford Foodbank says that the Big

Christmas Lunch will go ahead, even if it has to be as a takeaway

(p35). The Foodbank, the Community Fridge and the Larder will be

combining to provide Christmas hampers for some 80 or more local

households feeling the pinch (p24) and we are invited to provide

treats and presents. If your family would appreciate some festive

cheer in these bleak times, the form is on page 25. There’s also a

revised version of the pull-out poster with names and addresses for

Covid help on page 22. Mike Bartlam has provided a Covid Quiz to lift

the spirits (p29) and Chris Andrews has some hints for taking Winter

photographs, and a festive special offer (p17). Our next issue will be

in February 2021. Happy Christmas, one and all!

Ag MacKeith

Letters to the Editor

Willow Walk Bridge

Please could you kindly print an appeal to your readers/local

residents/historians regarding the origins and date, etc., of the 5-arch

stone bridge at the south end of Willow Walk in North Hinksey. A

Google search only seems to identify the proposed flood plain project.

My husband and I enjoyed a lovely walk through there today in the

November sunshine, and I am ashamed to admit that when he (a

Somerset lad) asked me the above questions, I was unable to tell him,

despite having been born in North Hinksey in 1941 and lived there until

1962! I only live in Abingdon now, so not too far away from my origins.

Ann Ford (nee Trinder)

Environmental issues

The long report from the Parish Council’s Environment & Wellbeing

Committee in the November Sprout nevertheless omitted some points

that may be of interest to parishioners. The funding for the actions

described came out of a whopping inflationary 9.9% increase this last

year in the Parish Precept, paid by all, but about which we were not

consulted.

With the award-winning and well-staffed Low Carbon West Oxford

organisation (www.lowcarbonwestoxford.org.uk) active in the same

areas, and on our doorstep, one may question the need to try to

duplicate its actions. Many of the objectives have already been listed in

the Neighbourhood Plan, which is a part of the planning system. Some

of the budget (£3000) paid for the “Botley Green Day” – yet Cumnor and

West Oxford residents of Botley contributed nothing towards it, and

there was little on show about how to reduce our energy footprint or

sustainable alternatives. The Parish Council should be supporting Low

Carbon West Oxford, not wasting money in trying to set up a rival

organisation.

Given that the need for greater action and involvement to protect the

environment is not in dispute, why is our Parish Council spending more

than £13,000 in trying to evict the 4th Oxford Scouts, part of an

organisation which has respect for nature at the heart of its message to

young people, from their Scout Hut on Arnold’s Way?

Andrew Pritchard

A letter to 4th Oxford Scouts

In the context of Dr Pritchard’s comments above, readers may be

interested to read this open letter from the Parish Council to the 4th

Oxford Scouts which has also been sent to the Sprout:

“I am writing on behalf of North Hinksey Parish Council to remind

Trustees of the offer of a one-year peppercorn rent lease as originally

offered on 13th July 2020, with a deadline for signing this lease of 26th

November 2020.

We hope that the Scouts do sign that lease, allowing for continued use

of the Louie Memorial Playing Fields as your Group headquarters after

31st December 2020.

We would also like to reiterate our offer to meet with Scout

representatives to restart discussions towards a mutually acceptable

longer-term solution.”

Yours sincerely, Sharon Henley, NHPC Clerk

[As a matter of record, at the time of going to press, 4th Oxford Scouts’

response was to refuse to sign the lease, and risk eviction from their hut

at the end of this year. It is hard to see what this would achieve for the

Parish Council, or for the Scouts, so let us hope good sense will prevail.

It is becoming clear that nothing will persuade the Scouts to share the

new pavilion proposed by the parish council. But, since the version for

which planning approval was granted last year was designed to

accommodate their needs, this suggests the whole project will need to

be looked at again. It’s high time the matter was sorted, as it continues

to cost a good deal of time and money, which neither party can afford.

The Sprout will be reporting on the whole messy business as soon as

things become clearer.]

Football in the Year of Covid

It has been the best of times. It has been occasionally a rather trying

time. Embedded into the fabric of Botley and run by a group of

dedicated, accredited lovers of football from the area, Botley Boys and

Girls Football Club has been able to provide a vital resource to children,

giving them the physical activity and companionship that they have

desperately needed in

a time of isolation.

Community is a word

that is very easily used

but requires a particular

mix of dedication and

compromise to deliver.

The club stands for that

very real community.

“The thing about

football, the important

thing about football, is

that it isn't just about

football,” wrote Terry

Pratchett wisely,

although no fan of the

game himself.

As it left the first

lockdown in July, Botley

Boys and Girls FC

immediately

recommenced training in groups of six, despite the 2019/20 season

being effectively over. The coaches coached for the love of it and

because they could see the children in their care desperately needed it.

Paying close attention to government guidelines on social distancing,

coaches adapted their training sessions to concentrate on shooting and

passing into space rather than tackling. The over-riding importance was

enabling children to play together in the sun in a constructive, controlled

way.

The unique effect of being let out of lockdown meant the 2020/21

season for the club was infused with sheer joy at being able once more

to play the game the children love. Of course, the narrative has not

been straightforward for anybody in 2020 and for Botley Boys and Girls

FC it has been no different. The downside came in early November

when the government suspended all grassroots football, even training

amongst children who were at school together. Despite the protests of

key voices in the professional game and expressions of sympathy from

media figures, all football stopped. We hope that by the time you read

this, the season will have begun again, with coaches standing anxiously

on the touchlines for the first weekend of games in December, hoping

their teams remember how to close down the opposition and play out

from the back. It allows us to return to the positive though. The big

success – returning slightly later than the other teams – has been the

Wildcats. In 2019, The Football Association and SSE (Scottish and

Southern Energy) launched an initiative to encourage girls aged from 5

to 11 to get involved in football. Botley is one of only 200 clubs that have

established an SSE Wildcats group.

Coach Nick Dunn is in charge of around 20 regulars. “The group of girls

has grown beyond our expectations which is fantastic, but also makes

training quite challenging, especially given the age variance within the

group,” he says. Extra volunteers will now help him each week,

although the club still seeks a welfare officer dedicated to the girls.

Other teams are also well subscribed, which brings its own pressures.

The lockdown gave the senior coaching team under Roy Walsh the

opportunity to help establish an U7 side. He and his team were quickly

able to build a core of players and familiarise new coaches with the way

the club and the Oxford Youth League work. Jason McKinlay has now

stepped in to coach the side. “One thing I have learned is patience,” he

says. “The kids all learn and train at different rates, so we try to buddy

up these players to give those with an edge the chance to share and

teach.” McKinlay also managed to get a shirt sponsor in difficult

economic circumstances. NEW AGE ELECTRICAL LTD have

sponsored the kit for the team, who wear it with pride.

So, it is all good bar the interruptions? Well, not quite. The Football

Association’s Level 1 training scheme has been suspended due to

Covid-19, so coaches are having to pass on their skills to the relatively

uninitiated. Historically, the club has been financially supported by local

businesses through sponsorship, but this has been decimated by

changing patterns of commerce exacerbated by the virus outbreak and

the ensuing lockdown. New support is always desperately sought.

Meanwhile volunteers have been taking stock of their involvement.

Brendan Byrne, the club’s dedicated, hard-working chairman, will soon

be standing down having run the club, Svengali-like for nearly a decade.

“Grassroots football is totally dependent on volunteers,” he says. “I have

been involved with the club in a committee role now for 8 years and it is

one of the most rewarding things I have done.” Byrne has enabled a

whole generation of our children to play football in a safe and fun

environment, but now that his own son is close to the upper age limit of

the club (to the degree that he’s helping out with the coaching of the

U6s), Byrne senior feels it is time to hand on to the next generation. In

addition, Roy Walsh, the avuncular club secretary, is standing down

from 31 December 2020. “I have absolutely loved and enjoyed the last 3

years with the Club,” says Walsh; part man, part Toby jug. He will

continue to coach the U9 team.

It is tremendously hard to combine the coaching and the administrative

side of the game in an era when the public and professional association

are more conscious than ever of the safety and welfare aspects of

coaching. Botley Boys and Girls Football Club needs a new era of

volunteers from the community, not necessarily motivated by a love of

the game pure and simple, but a desire to help a key community

resource and the knowledge that better you than nobody. Botley Boys

and Girls Football Club has at times this year been the only volunteer-

run organisation in our children’s lives; a love of football its only real

guide. But then, as the man said, “The important thing about football, is

that it isn't just about football." clubsecretaryatbotleyfc@ gmail.com is

the email address for more information.

Tim Abrahams

Botley Farmers Market

To my mind, the best thing to have come out of the new

West Way development is Botley’s very own Farmers

Market. (For the pedants among you, I’m not even

going into the apostrophe debate on this one, so am

deliberately omitting this pernickety little bit of

punctuation.)

If you have yet to discover the market you’re in for a good surprise. It

started on 3rd October and is held each Saturday from 10.00am until

4.00pm in Church Way at the Library end of the new development,

come rain or shine. Mostly rain so far. However, the entrepreneurial

stallholders have been organized enough to keep themselves and all

their produce dry despite the wettest October on record.

I won’t try to list and describe every stall, as I hope you’ll enjoy

discovering your own favourites. But a quick survey round my family

reveals the following top picks (you can tell we’re a greedy lot):

Husband – he loves the Natas, i.e. Portuguese custard tarts, stall.

Son – makes a beeline for the Empanadas (chicken, pork, and beef –

one of each! Obviously the greediest of us all) and says the pork

dumplings from the same stall are amazing.

Grandsons – Chocolate stall, especially the beautiful chocolate lollies.

Surely everyone must need a chocolate sheep?

Me – I can’t get enough of the delicious Hummus (served with walnut

halves on top), olives, feta, Turkish delight, baklava, etc to remind me of

Greek and Turkish holidays in this time of lockdown.

We regularly buy bread (two bread stalls to choose from), meat (two

butchers), lovely fresh produce from the greengrocer as well as

samosas and onion bhajis for lunch. I told you we were greedy.

There’s a great plant stall where my

eldest grandson and I delight in

naming all the plants. I can

recommend their white Hellebore

called ‘Christmas Carol’ and want to

get more before my neighbour snaps

them all up, she came home with an

armful this week. They sell eggs too.

My Christmas present was recently

purchased from the jewellery stall (I like to pick my own) and it is not

only beautiful but handmade. In addition there are stalls selling fresh

fish, tasty cheese, cakes, preserves and gin. It’s also a great place to

pick up a street food snack while you’re strolling through, with plenty of

choice from Asian to Spanish cuisines.

Why is a Farmers Market so brilliant? I think it’s the feel-good factor –

not only are you giving vital support to local independent traders but

also receiving top-quality goods in return. Extra bonus at the current

time is that it’s in the open air and possibly the only chance to bump into

friends for a quick (masked) chat. See you there! Viv Smith

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can we? Can’t we? Will we? Won’t we? Re-open that is!

Whenever we post anything about the plans to re-open Kennington

Memory Club Day Centre sessions we seem to get overtaken by

events. It was all go for the November 12th restart of the sessions when

Lockdown2 was announced. Once the small print of what was and

wasn’t allowed under the new rules had been studied, it appeared that

such support group activities could still go ahead. But members, who

mostly fall into the extremely vulnerable category, were understandably

reluctant to attend, given the recently rising number of Covid 19 cases.

So re-opening plans have been shelved once more until circumstances

become more favourable and members feel more comfortable about

attending the sessions. The Trustees and staff are keen that this should

be as soon as possible. The Club website will be kept updated with the

situation. Go to www.kenningtonmemoryclub.org.uk to see the latest.

In the meantime, if you would like to know more about the Club for

yourself or someone you know or care for, or to put someone’s name on

the waiting list, please visit the website and contact Helen, the

organiser, on 07852 883496.

Isobel Birse

Taking Winter Pictures

There are great opportunities for interesting pictures in winter, as well as

the occasional challenge! I remember one years ago in the very cold winter

of 1984. I had driven to Bourton on the Water to do one last picture to put in

next year’s Cotswold Calendar. It was a clear day and I left on gritted roads

before dawn in January. Arrived in Bourton, no one about – surprise,

surprise! – found the view needed, put camera on tripod and got started.

But had to wait ten minutes for the camera to un-fog, the very cold air

condensed immediately onto all the surfaces. At last I was able to work for

a bit and got something useful, then the camera started acting up! The

shutter just refused to work. I turned it on and off – even then a remedy,

well before digital – but to no avail. I went back to sit in the car. Thought

about it and realised at –20C it was probably the batteries not working, so

took them out and tucked them under my arm. Hey presto! Re-inserted, it

all worked as long as I operated in ten-minute bursts. Eventually I got all I

needed. I hadn’t noticed the cold because I was so layered in thermals, ski

kit, hats etc.

So, winter tips: If you have one, just occasionally try the discipline of using

a tripod. Apart from the advantage of holding the camera steady, it slows

you down and maybe makes you think a little longer about the composition

of the view you want to take. If you

haven’t got a tripod, try resting the

camera on a nearby solid surface,

post, litter bin, etc. It may compromise

the composition, so be aware of your

main interest in the picture and be

prepared to crop and compose the

image on screen, later.

I doubt we shall have such a cold

winter this year, in fact I am sure we

won’t, but do get outside and

photograph in such cool as we have. The stimulation of a cold, clear

morning as the sun rises with frost on the floor and the bright air sharp on

your face is priceless. Gloves are probably a good idea too, and dogs don’t

seem to mind the snow, if we get any (see the photo). If it’s just raining and

‘Orrible, go into town at dusk, 4pm-ish maybe, and record the balance of

the dull blue light of the darkening evening skybalanced by the orange

street lights and the bright lights of the shops reflected in the wet

pavements.

Our small photographic and publishing business has been very affected

by the pandemic. And we think the visitor market will not return until the

summer, and even then perhaps only by 50–60%. We do have a bit of

stock: Oxford Calendars, books, Cotswolds publications including a

brand new set of illustrated playing cards and some lovely floral

notelets. You can see them on our web site www.cap-ox.com. If you

email me personally on pictures@cap-ox.com or ring my mobile 07850

399143 quoting The Sprout you can have a 20% discount off any of our

publications (excluding Limited Edition books) – up until 10th December.

And if you are close enough to Botley then we can offer free delivery –

in a suitably distanced manner, of course. Chris Andrews

Oxford XVth Scouts

Now this article could have taken two forms. It was written in Lockdown

#2, when we were back to Zoom meetings online. But by the time you

read this, and remaining positive, perhaps we’ll be out of lockdown once

again. So here goes…

Oh, it’s good to be back! After many months of online meetings, the

15th Oxford Cubs and Scouts are back together and meeting face-to-

face. Sure, we’re wearing masks, and keeping to 2m social distance but

as an organisation we’ve always been as adaptable and resilient as

necessary to deliver a programme that builds Skills for Life. Now we can

meet up together, we’ll find ways to teach first aid from a distance,

pioneering projects will involve members building different elements that

come together at the end, map skills will be individual so there is

nobody to blame if you get lost (or ‘taking the scenic route’ as we like to

say). We’ll be doing wide games in the fields and woods around Botley

that involve camouflage, sneaking past each other without being seen

or heard, treasure hunts and torch games.

In the few weeks we’d been back at the time of writing, we’d already

done car repair with the Cubs and a photography challenge round

Botley with the Scouts. Hallowe’en saw pumpkin carving, ghost stories

and shadow puppet plays. The jamborees and the district events and

the county camps may be on hold, but we’ll still be working through

badges that culminate in the Chief Scout Silver and Gold awards. There

are plans for a movie night, a mock UN council based around building

your own country, sign language, paper airplanes, and breaking

Guinness World Records.

There is so much planned, and if any of it sounds like something that

your child will be interested in then come and join us. Join our ‘bubble’

and see what Scouting is all about – we have spaces. I’m biased of

course but I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. If this is what we get

up to from a socially distanced and sanitized 2m, imagine the

adventures we have on our camping and residential trips, resuming in

2021 we hope! We meet every Friday evening during school term time

at Botley Baptist Church. Cubs is for children aged 8–10.5, Scouts aged

10.5 to 14. Email us for more details: XVOxfordScouts@yahoo.co.uk

Tom Freeman

Covid pullout

Christmas Hamper for 2020

– can you help?

Donations wanted

Christmas is around the corner and with the global

pandemic it has been a challenging year for many

local households. We are providing hampers for

households on a low income and are looking to our

local community to spread some Christmas cheer.

Can you donate dried food, Christmas treats and/or

wrapped gifts for children or adults (stating appropriate age and sex)

Donations can be dropped off at St Peter and St Pauls Church Hall,

Botley on Monday 21st December from 2-5pm or Tuesday 22nd

December from 10-4pm. If you cannot drop off at these times please e-

mail sue@botleybridges.org to arrange an alternative venue and time.

This is a joint venture between the Community Larder, Food for

Charities and Botley Bridges Family Support, with a grant from Vale of

White Horse District Council and help from lots of volunteers.

Many thanks and a Merry Christmas to you all.

Sue Dowe

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tennis is Good for You

We know how important it is for people to

be active, and the role tennis can have in

the physical and mental wellbeing of those

who play it. If you are facing exceptional

and unexpected financial hardship (e.g.

due to unemployment) and would like to

request assistance with membership fees

or coaching for you, or your child, to play

tennis at Oxford Sports LTC contact

tennis@oxfordsportsltc.org explaining the

reason for requiring assistance and what

you are applying for. All information is

treated in the strictest confidence.

Alastair Barr (Membership Secretary)

Requesting a Christmas Hamper

We are inviting any families on a low income living in the Botley, North

Hinksey, Cumnor and West Oxford areas to complete a request form so

we can arrange for a lovely Christmas hamper to be ready for you to

collect from St Peter and St Paul Church Hall in Elms Parade, Botley on

Wednesday 23rd December in the afternoon.

If you can’t collect it yourselves, we can deliver it (please make a note

on the form below). Fill in some details about your household so we can

arrange the most suitable hamper for you all. After December 23rd the

information will be deleted in accordance with GDPR . If you can’t fill in

the form online, tear out this page and hand it in at your child’s school.

A hamper contains fresh and dried food and some Christmas treats.

First Name

Surname

Address and post

code

Contact number

Number of adults in

the household

Age and gender of children in the household ( for gifts)

Any specific food requirements – linked to allergies etc

Can you pick up the hamper? Yes or No.

(if No we will arrange delivery)

Any other comment – for example are you completing this form for

someone else

Completed forms can be e-mailed to sue@botleybridges.org or handed

in to the school or pre-school your children attend. You can also register

online for a hamper https://forms.gle/NTEmQVSoiJ2AY1Jp8

Christmas Services

at St Peter & Paul, Botley,

and St Lawrence, North Hinksey

The pandemic has meant that we are having to find different ways of

celebrating Christmas. Numbers are limited at both churches because

of social distancing. Although we can't be sure what restrictions will be

in place in December, this is what we are currently planning:

Christingle

There will be no Christingle service at church, but do please help us

continue to raise funds for the Children's Society. You can hold your

own Christingle event at home with your family using materials provided

free by the Society. We have also set up a Christingle fund-raising page

for donations to the Society at https://www.give.net/NHBChristingle

If you would like us to order a set of materials and prayers for you,

please let the office know as soon as possible (contact details below). If

you want to order them yourself, they are free from the Children's

Society website https://shop.childrenssociety.org.uk/christingle.html).

Service to remember those we have loved and lost

Our annual remembrance service will be held on Sunday 13 December

at 5.00 pm at St Peter & Paul. If you wish to attend, please contact the

office by December 7th

to reserve a place, as numbers are limited.

Stations of the Nativity

This seasonal variation of the Stations of the Cross will run from

Monday 21 December to Christmas Eve at St Peter & Paul. Pictorial

and prayer resources will be available for private reflection during the

day ending with a short meditative service at 3pm on Christmas Eve.

'Midnight' Services

Traditional 'midnight mass' will take place at both churches at 11.30 pm

on Christmas Eve. Seating is limited so please come in good time.

Please note: These arrangements may have to change depending on

government restrictions. To keep up to date, please follow our Facebook

page ‘SaintsPeterPaulBotley’ (where we will be continuing to post our

regular prayer and worship resources), or contact Gwen at the office on

01865 242057/email: osneybenefice@outlook.com

John Clements (Rev Clare is back on 3rd December)

COVID Quiz

Botley residents have recently been subjected to forensic questioning

about their experiences during Lockdown, Tier 1, Tier 2, “just stay and

don’t move, etc.” Share some of these experiences and perhaps match

against your own through our Covid Quiz. Simply tick the answer next

to the statements you think researchers encountered most often.

Lockdown Rules

What are the rules of Tier 2?

a) A lot tougher than Tier 1 or the other way

around.

b) I have to wear a tag.

c) Isn’t it a type of ballet costume.

Games

You have just dusted off your 1,000 piece jigsaw but found one piece

missing. Where did you find it?

a) Under the very last item of heavy furniture you had to move.

b) In the hoover (full).

c) In the dog – eventually.

Redecorating

How many matchpots did you buy during lockdown?

a) Six, all the same, just enough for the downstairs loo.

b) Stopped buying, too many arguments.

c) Dunno, but the dining room is very colourful.

On-line Shopping

What do you think of Amazon?

a) I hate it – I use it all the time.

b) A bit hot and steamy.

c) I wondered why he was so keen to add “Prime” to the account –

the damn rugby!

“Virtual” Family Gatherings

How has the older generation responded to on-line chats?

a) “Grandad, just stop poking the screen, it doesn’t work any bet-

ter”.

b) “Thanks for showing us your ceiling.”

c) “Look, we’ll just give you a call.”

Reading

So what has it been like to uncover all those unread classics that you

promised yourself to read?

a Never realised Dickens was so boring.

b Perhaps I am a bit old now for the Famous Five.

c So that’s what happened to all my pressed flowers.

Revisiting neglected parts of the

house

And what did you find up in the loft?

a Now I know where I stored all

those apples/home-made

wine.

b So that’s where the builders

put all their rubbish!

c So that’s why the house was

so cold!

New world of exercise

What has it been like to get back to

walking and cycling?

a Good heavens, was my bike always that heavy.

b Now, look here Fitbit, what do you mean I haven’t done 10,000

steps yet, surely hills count double?

c That’s it! I’m not getting soaked any more.

Answers in next month’s edition but because of the all too fashionable

possibility of vote rigging, fraud, miscounts or general cheating, no

prizes will be awarded.

Happy Christmas, possibly!

Mike Bartlam

Botley School News

This term at Botley we have been marking

Remembrance and Children in Need, both of

which gave us a chance to come together

once again as a school with the help of

modern technology.

For Remembrance, each class completed

activities following class input, whether making

and understanding the significance of a

Remembrance Wreath, or discussing what the

term ‘sacrifice’ actually means. We marked

the 11th hour with a special whole school

assembly on Microsoft TEAMs and linked to

the BBC broadcast to join the nation in standing for the two minutes’

silence. It is wonderful that technology not only allows us to come

together as a school during this period of greater restrictions, but also to

come together with the wider community and understand that it

stretches across the country and the world.

We followed Remembrance Day with dressing up in spotty clothes to

raise funds for Children in Need on World Kindness Day. Normally we

would hold bake sales and other fundraising ventures on this day,

however, the community gave generously for the mufti day instead and

can be proud of the achievement and spirit with which they raised the

funds for good causes.

Coming up we will be marking National Anti-Bullying Week, joining in a

virtual lantern parade to mark the festivals of light and then turning our

minds to Christmas at the end of term. The restrictions do make school

life more challenging, but we are determined to keep as many of our

annual festivals going in new formats as we can, and to keep our

community together as we head into the winter months.

We are also looking at extending our school community: now is the time

for parents to apply for Reception school places for September 2021.

Our Early Years team have been busy creating a new web page for

parents of new starters (see ‘reception-new-starters’ on the school

website botleyschool.org.uk) and we held our first virtual Open Events

in November. We will be advertising more of these events in December

and into January ahead of the January 15th deadline, so please look

out for the adverts with the dates. Mrs Jo Reid, Headteacher

Oxford Food Bank – keeping up the good work!

When the UK entered its second lockdown, staff and volunteers at

Oxford Food Bank got to work to ensure that food does not go to waste

when non-essential shops and restaurants are forced to close.

“It has been a strange year for food surplus,” explains manager Cathy

Howard. “When non-essential shops were ordered to close in March we

collected five tons of non-perishable goodies from TKMaxx stores, from

Easter eggs and glittery marshmallows to olive oil and saffron!”

“Then more recently, as cinemas, theatres, vending machine suppliers

and other leisure outlets reduced or closed their operations, we have

received many donations of crisps, fizzy drinks, jelly sweets, fudge and

chocolate raisins. We’ve been very grateful to the Ashmolean gift shop,

Oxford Playhouse, The New Theatre and David Lloyd gym, amongst

many others. Health-conscious volunteers sometimes turn up their

noses at sugary junk, but food has emotional value as well as nutritious,

and these treats have helped to make a lot of people happy in difficult

times.”

Oxford Food Bank is well supplied with fresh fruit and vegetables thanks

to recent deliveries from pubs and restaurants including The Trout, The

Barley Mow at Clifton Hampden, The Bear and Ragged Staff in Cumnor

and the King’s Arms in Sandford on Thames. The sudden

announcement of a second lockdown in November took many

professional kitchens by surprise, leaving surplus fresh fruit and veg in

need of a home.

2020 has also been a strange year for the Food Bank’s 100+ charities

as well, with many organisations changing their pattern of food

distribution to allow for Covid safety. Oxford Food Bank administrator,

Emma Tinker, explains, “Some charities that used to serve a regular sit-

down lunch to people crowded around small tables have realised that

this just won’t work now. So they have started cooking food to serve as

takeaways, or putting together bags of food to deliver to people at

home. We’ve also seen more charities coming to us, as groups like

community fridges have stepped up their operations to support the

wider community. People who were financially stable a year ago are

suddenly struggling, and many of our charities have adapted very fast to

cope with that.”

Meanwhile, plans for Christmas continue to evolve. For several years

the Oxford Food Bank has supported the Oxford Christmas Lunch,

whose lead organiser, Sara Strong (also an OFB volunteer), told us:

“with our venue the King’s Centre mothballed, we can’t hold our usual

Christmas Day lunch, which in 2019 was attended by over 600 guests

and volunteers. So for 2020 we’re organising a Christmas Day lunch

delivery to anyone in Oxfordshire who’s going to be alone, in food

poverty or in any other way in need. We’ll once again be cooking with

food from Oxford Food Bank that would otherwise have gone to waste,

and passing on additional fresh ingredients for recipients to enjoy at

home.

Oxford Food Bank often has a sudden last-minute influx of food

ingredients as supermarkets close for the Christmas Break, but many

charities also close for the holiday and so can’t use the surplus. Oxford

Christmas Lunch works with Oxford Food Bank, the King’s Centre and

other local businesses to cook the food and get it to those who need it

most.” “We’re still here,” says volunteer Jude Carroll. “As long as

there’s food surplus coming from anywhere, we’ll carry on finding

somewhere for it to go.” To find out more, visit

https://oxfordfoodbank.org/

Cathy Howard

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS

P20/V2554/HH

28 Hurst Rise Rd. Demolish rear sitting

area & erect single storey rear extension +

loft conversion.

5 October

P20/V2687/HH 6 Hazel Rd. Single storey rear extension. 16 October

P20/V2753/LDP 32 Lime Rd. Lawful Development

Certificate for change of use from single

dwelling to small HMO.

23 October

P20/V2759/HH 21 & 22 Hawthorn Close. Single storey

rear extension to create large kitchen

diner at both properties.

26 October

P20/V2762/T28 32A Lime Rd. Installation of 1 x 8m

wooden pole (6.2m above ground).

26 October

P20/V2700/FUL Land Adjacent to Matthew Arnold School.

Convert existing barn with extension to

single family dwelling.

27 October

P20/V2832/HH 42 North Hinksey Lane. Two storey side

extension and loft conversion.

3 November

P20/V2845/A Botley Centre West Way 1 x internally

illuminated fascia sign.

6 November

Waiter, waiter, there’s a big fish in my tub!

If your household is anything like ours, the holiday period at the end

of December 2020 will be somewhat different: downright subdued.

As our customary invasion by six family members from Prague sadly

won't be happening this year, I thought I'd brighten the gap with an

account of what it would be like if

we were all together over there.

First of all, the dates: Christmas

Eve is the Main Event. For most of

December 24th, restraint is the

keynote. According to legend, if

you fast all day, a golden pig – a

good omen for the year to come –

will visit the home in the evening.

Although few are that strict these

days, many do eat a light, meatless

lunch. By evening, however, it is

time for the most festive dinner of

the year. The first course is a

particular and filling fish soup

necessitating – as I know to my cost

– exacting preparation. This is

followed by the traditional main dish: carp fried in breadcrumbs,

with potato salad. Now therein lies a tale.

Since the 15th Century, carp breeding has been a significant feature

of the South Bohemian economy. In the run-up to Christmas, local

markets all over the Czech lands stock large live carp in big vats.

Traditionally, you took your carp home live, keeping it in the bathtub

until the 24th, when it met its fate (any query I broached about what

effect this might have had on bathing habits invariably was met with

a discreet smirk). I have it on good authority that the capital's

residents no longer observe, but that the practice of sharing your tub

with a big fish does continue in the provinces.

One interesting footnote to this practice – so different from our own

– is that the reason Czechs give for choosing carp is “because it

wasn't considered to be meat. Christmas Eve in our country is still

considered to be part of a fasting period. So carp is one of the

dishes that are allowed...It was cheap; it was available to the poorer

parts of society. Noble folk used to consume poultry, wild game and

so on. Carp was eaten by monks and nuns in monasteries and also

by peasants...to eat fish was not to break the fast, and virtually

every Czech family could afford to serve carp.”

Exchanging gifts, too, is the province of the 24th, with everyone

hoping all the while to catch a glimpse of the golden pig.

We've found that generally even the youngest, most modern,

Czechs enthusiastically keep all these Christmas Eve traditions …

though on the 25th – in a more laid-back atmosphere – they do also

enjoy a copious family meal featuring a large roast bird. Hence, like

us, by Christmas evening everyone is replete, if not groaning …

though possibly still peeping behind the curtains in search of that

elusive pig.

Of course, Carp at Christmas is not unique to the Czech Republic

and Slovakia. It’s also traditional in Poland, and possibly other

Slavic areas, too. So it would be interesting to hear details from any

of the many Poles and people of Polish descent people in our area.

Ruth Cameron

Manna from Anna

This kind and modest woman has had the most amazing variety of jobs:

data researcher for a magazine; auxiliary midwife; Bishops (pre-

Budgens and pre-Coop); youth worker and then manager of a charity;

on the 111 non-emergency hotline; florist… and now Anna Antell runs

the Manna Café in the new shopping precinct, where she puts her

previous experience to good use, providing much more than cups of tea

and slices of cake.

Like her café, Anna is a true

local. She was born in

Oxford, moved to Botley

when she was eight years

old, and went to Botley

primary school and Matthew

Arnold. Two of Anna’s

daughters – Megan and

India – grew up locally and

now work at the café.

Recently Anna completed a

celebrant’s course, and this

year she officiated at her

first wedding ceremony in

the West Way roof terrace

room.

The idea of having a café linked to the Baptist Church started about ten

years ago. Anna’s family has been very involved with the church, and

the minister asked whether she would be interested in running the café.

The idea was that the church would provide the space for a café rent-

free until the café was doing well enough to pay rent. The café started

in August 2018 with furniture collected from car boot sales and a menu

that focuses on affordable comfort food: soup, potatoes, shepherd’s pie,

Greek food, sourdough toast…

Then came the redevelopment of West Way and a temporary move to

the Grant Thornton building, then another move to the café’s current

position next to the new Seacourt Hall. Then there was Lockdown 1,

then Lockdown 2. It is a testament to Anna’s determination that the

Manna Café still exists, although at the time of writing it was only doing

a take-away service due to lockdown restrictions.

Anna’s philosophy is that the cafe should look after everyone, not just

the people who come every day for lunch and some company. So she

takes breakfast and soup to Field House, and offered free food to

children missing free school meals during half-term. She has also

teamed up with Food for Charities to provide food parcels to people in

need.

Much of what she does at the café involves listening to people and

acting like an agony aunt. Anna understands what it’s like to be ill: she

is a breast cancer survivor. She also knows what it’s like to be poor: the

café had not been going for long enough for her to go onto the furlough

scheme during the first lockdown. So she did a lot of crafting: for

instance she made 250 crochet rainbows!

The Botley Notice Board gives an indication of just how much Anna and

the Manna Café are valued. Here is a sample comment:

“Dear Anna-Manna Cafe! I just wanted to write a little note to tell you

just how fabulous you and your staff have been. Especially during the

Covid period! You … have gone out of your way to help and support

people within the Botley community.

When I walk past I see your

regulars in the cafe, chatting and

smiling. You bring light to their day

and help the vunerables from

feeling lonely and isolated. Thank

you to you and the team for

providing this valuable service

within the Botley community.”

The photo shows Anna holding a

picture made for her as a thank

you.

Riki Therivel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erratum

Apologies for calling the

Combined Sewage Overflow an

‘Outfall’ in last month’s article on

Sewage. It looked so right at the

time! Ed.

Keeping Well This Winter

Cold weather can make some health problems worse and even lead

to serious complications, especially if you are 65 or older, or if you

have a long-term health condition.

You can get help and advice from:

a) a pharmacy – pharmacists can give treatment advice for a range

of minor illnesses and can tell you if you need to see a doctor

b) your GP – you may be able to speak to a GP online or over the

phone, or go in for an appointment if they think you need to

c) NHS 111 – go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111 if you have an urgent

medical problem and you’re not sure what to do.

The poster on page 22 has all the contacts you need for local help.

Get a flu vaccine

Flu will often get better on its own, but it can make some people

seriously ill. It's important to get the flu vaccine if you're advised to.

It's offered every year on the NHS to help protect people at risk of

flu and its complications. If you're 65 or over, you are also eligible

for the pneumococcal vaccine, which will help protect you from

pneumonia.

Keep your home warm

Follow these tips to keep you and your family warm and well at

home: if you're not very mobile, are 65 or over, or have a health

condition, such as heart or lung disease, heat your home to at least

18C. Have at least one hot meal a day – eating regularly helps keep

you warm. Have hot drinks regularly. Draw curtains at dusk and

keep doors closed to block out draughts, and get your heating

system checked regularly by a qualified professional. Put babies to

sleep in rooms heated to between 16C and 20C. Citizens Advice

can help you if you’re struggling with heating costs.

Look in on vulnerable neighbours and relatives

Check on older neighbours and relatives, especially if they have

breathing (respiratory) problems, to make sure they: are safe and

well and warm enough, especially at night. Have they got stocks of

food and medicines so they do not need to go out during very cold

weather? If worried, get local help via our Covid poster (p22). If

you're concerned that someone has hypothermia, contact NHS 111.

Sourced from the NHS website by the Botley and Kennington

Patients Participation Group.

Randoms

Thank you from the Botley community fridge

THANK YOU! to all the wonderful people who have been donating food

at the Coop, which goes to Food for Charities / Botley Community

Fridge. We deliver about one third of it to people experiencing

homelessness: they particularly like chocolate-flavoured cereal, fish,

anything with meat in it, and toiletries (anything except shower gel

which we have loads of). Another third goes into parcels for people in

need, some local and some in east Oxford. Some parcel recipients have

small children, others have special dietary requirements, so each parcel

gets packed specifically for that household, but biscuits are always a

favourite. The last third gets put onto the ‘in need’ shelving at the

community fridge, and into food parcels that are given out at the Manna

Café, so that none of our neighbours has to go hungry. Additional food

for all this comes from the Oxford Food Bank, surplus non-perishables

from the Community Larder (the Community Fridge gives its surplus

fresh food to the larder), Oxford Mutual Aid and other donations. We are

very lucky to have such a supportive local community and a good

network of food organisations in Oxford. If you or anybody you know

needs a food parcel, please fill in the form at

https://forms.gle/TvjuHd78HRgjxNYW9 and the Larder or Fridge will get

one to you. Riki Therivel

Greening the Planet – tree planting on 6th December

Botley, like everywhere else, has a part to play if we are to pull back

from the worst effects of climate change. An easy win is to plant trees,

wherever and whenever we can. Cllr Chris Church is leading a session

planting some woodland trees around the edges of the rugby ground at

the end of North Hinksey Lane. Everyone is welcome to join in, so if you

want to help, contact Chris on chrischurch@cooptel.net, or just turn up,

spade in hand, at the Rugby Ground on Sunday at noon. See you there!

University of the 3rd Age

Talks are on Zoom for the duration. None in December, but in January

‘The Art of WW2’ on 11th, and ‘the Salt Routes’ on 25th. Details on

www.westoxfordu3a.org.uk, where you can find out about all the other

things they do. If you’re not a member, it only costs £5 from January to

September 2021, so it’s definitely worth joining. Hugh Manson

Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details to

editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.

1st Botley Brownies

Girls aged 7–10

Dean Court Community Centre Thur 6–7.30 Jean Metson,

firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com

2nd Botley Brownies

Girls aged 7–10

Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison

Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com

4th Oxford Scout Group

Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts

Scout Hall, Arnolds Way; mail@thefourth.org.uk

Website: http://www.thefourth.org.uk/

15th Oxford Scout Group

Boys and girls welcome

Fridays, Cubs 6.30-8, Scouts 8-9.30, 1 Church Way, Botley

Amy Cusden (Cubs) 07887 654386, Tom Freeman (Scouts)

07837 623768 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk

Baby & Toddler Group Tues/Thurs 9.15–11, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall

Badminton Club

Thurs 7-8pm at Matthew Arnold Sports Hall. Garry Clark 0777

3559 314 garryclark13@gmail.com

BikeSafe. B4044 community

path campaign

Wants to connect Botley to Eynsham. Meets every 6-8 weeks.

Contact via website B4044path.org

Books on Wheels R.V.S. Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142

Botley Boys & Girls F.C.

Football teams from ages 8-16

Jason Barley Ox. 242926 jbarley1@sky.com or Brendan

Byrne 792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com

Botley Community Larder

Thursdays, 3.30 to 5.30 at St P&P Church Hall, West Way,

Botley Health Walks

Wednesday 9.30am. Contact Briony on Ox 246497

Botley Library

01865 248142. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,

otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).

Botley Seniors Lunch Club

Every other Thursday. Seacourt Hall. Viv Smith 01865

241539 or Jackie Warner 01865 721386

Botley Singers

Thur 7.30, St Andrew’s Church, Dean Court. Angela Astley-

Penny Ox.242189 angastpen@aol.com

Cumnor Choral Society

Rehearsals Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795 054142

or www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com

Cumnor Chess Club

Thurs 7–9pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett 862788

www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk

Cumnor & District

Historical Society

Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old School.

01865 724808

Cumnor Gardening Club http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or phone 01865 721026

Harmony InSpires, Ladies'

Acappella Singing Group

Wed 7.30 at Appleton village hall. C. Casson 01235 831352

or harmonyinspires@hotmail.co.uk

Hill End Volunteer Team

Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org, call

863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk

Let’s Sing! – singing group Weds 2pm, WOCC, Emily 07969 522368 or email

emformusic@outlook.com

Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc

Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk

North Hinksey Preschool

and Childcare clubs

Mon–Fri 7.45am–6.00 pm. Tel 794287 or email

nhps.manager1@gmail.com

N Hinksey Art Group Weds 10 – 12.00 W.I. Hall Tel: Christina 07931 707997

N Hinksey Bellringers Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451

N Hinksey Conservation

Volunteers

Meets at weekends Contact Voirrey Carr 07798743121

voirreyc@aol.com

N Hinksey, Friends of Annual Cricket Match & Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.

N Hinksey Parish Council Sharon Henley, clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk

N Hinksey Youth Club

Weds at LM pavilion, Daz on 07791 212866 or see F’book

Oxford Flood Alliance R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035

Oxford Flower Arranging Club 4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: 01865 865259

Oxford Harmony Men's Acap-

pella singing group

Meets Wednesdays 7.45 pm at Seacourt Hall, Contact

pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk

Oxford Otters

Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays, twice

monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420

Oxford Rugby Club

Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com

Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.

Oxford Sports Lawn Tennis

Club, N Hinksey

Family club: Melanie Riste 848658

melanie_riste@hotmail.com

Raleigh Park, Friends of raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk

Saturdads at

Botley Bridges

Fun activities and trips for Dads and under 5’s

10 am–noon 1st Sat of month. Tel: 243955

Seacourt Hall Management

Committee

Michael Cockman 07766 317691

michael.cockman@gmail.com.

Shotokan Karate Club 6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450

Walking for Health

2nd & 4th Saturdays 9.50 Louie Memorial Field car park,

Arnolds Way. Alan 07941 610913

West Oxford Bowls Club Contact details on www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk

West Oxford Taekwon Do Club

Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall 01865

570291 www.wotkd.co.uk

West Oxford U3A (Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/

West Way Day Centre

Mon & Fri 10–3pm, Field House, 07740 611971.

oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

Women’s Institute (Botley) Liz Manson, 244175 or liz.manson@virginmedia.com

Weight Watchers

Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall Banso tel:

07779 253899 bansob@aol.com

Halls for Hire

Bot l e y B aptis t H a l l

West Wa y Plac e

Cont a c t : Rev K a l y an Da s

Tel. 0 7 8 4 1 8679 6 7

The R o s a ry Ro o m

Yarn e l l s Hill , E l ms Ri s e

Cont a c t Maria B r o w n,

Tel: 0 1 8 6 5 2479 8 6 .

SS P e t e r & P a u l C hurch

Hal l , Wes t Way, Bot l e y

Cont a c t : 0 7 9 4 6 4 6 3 7 4 1 or

osn e y b e n efice @ o u t look . c o m .

Women's I n s t itute H a l l,

Nor t h H i nksey L a n e

Cont a c t : Val Wa r n e r

Tel. 0 1 8 6 5 2452 7 3

Sea c o u r t Hal l , We s t

Wa y Pla c e , Botle y

Contact: Lottie White on 07452 960100,

or email admin@seacourthall.org.uk

Pav i l i o n, Arn o l d ’s Way,

Elm s R i s e, Bo t l e y

Cont a c t : Darr e n B l ase 2 4 1 2 5 4

louiememorialpavilion@gmail.com

Oxf o r d R u gby Clu b ,

Nor t h H i nksey Vill a g e

Contact:. Mary Bagnall

mary.bagnall1@btinternet.com.

North Hinksey & Botley Churches

Times of Services (once resumed) and Contacts

St. L a w rence, Churc h o f Engl a n d , N o r th Hi n k s e y Lane

1st, 2nd, 4th Sunday, Sung Eucharist 11.30 a . m .

3rd S u n d ay, Matin s 11.30 a m

St. P e t e r and St. P a u l , Chu r c h o f En g l a n d , West Way

2nd Saturday each Month, 4–6pm Messy Church for children and their carers

1st Sunday of the Month, 9.30am All Age service of Holy Communion

All other Sundays, 9.30am Holy Communion with activities for children

Every Wednesday, 10.30am Holy Communion at Field House

Rev C l a r e S y k e s , Tel. 0 1 8 6 5 242 3 4 5 or r e vclare @ b t inter n e t . c om

Our L a d y of t h e Ros a r y C hurch , R o man C a t h o lic , Yarne l l s Hill

Sat u r d a y 6.3 0 pm. M a s s

Sun d a y 9.1 5 am Ma s s

Fr D a n i e l L l o y d . 0758 4 3 2 3915 dlloyd@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.

Bot l e y B aptis t Chur c h , West Wa y Pla c e

Sun d a y Ser v i c e 10. 3 0 am.

Mid Week H o use G r o u p 8.00 p .m.

Fam i l y Wo r s h i p S e r v i c e 5-6p m on S a t u r d ay

Rev K a l y an D a s 07841 8 6 7 967 w w w.bot l e y b aptis t c h u rch.or g

Cal v a r y Ch a p e l

Sun d a y serv i c e s held a t B otley S c h o ol 1 0 . 30–12 n o o n

Pas t o r P hilip Vi c k e r y 018 6 5 8 6 4 4 9 8

calvarychapeloxford@yahoo.co.uk; www.calvarychapeloxford.org.uk

Sprout

Winter 2020

Sunday 6th December, tree planting

on the Rugby Grounds at 12 noon.

Some useful phone numbers

See North Hinksey Parish Council website for a comprehensive list of all the

local support groups currently in operation, as well as advice on asking for

help and looking to volunteer. It’s at https://northhinksey-pc.gov.uk/covid-19-

community-hub/ If you have something to add, please email the website

manager Councillor Lorna Berrett on lberrett.nhpc@gmail.com. All your

local parish councillors’ contact details are on the website too, so if you

need help, you can ask any of them and they will rally round.

Church contact details are on the inside back cover.

Oxford Hub’s email is: hello@oxfordtogether.org

Phone: 07957 105129 (9-5pm Mon-Fri)

Citizens Advice Adviceline on 0300 3309 042

Woodlands Pharmacy: 01865 242649

Lloyds Pharmacy: 01865 247023

Age UK Oxfordshire offers a new telephone support line for older people.

Leave a message on 01865 411288 and they will call you back.

Nextdoor North Hinksey is a local chatroom full of help and advice. Anyone

already on it can invite you to join, or contact the Sprout

Finally, two handy Facebook pages:

The Botley Notice Board (OXON)

and Oxford Covid-19 Mutual Aid group

and see centre pages for a pull out poster of useful addresses